The piano man from Virginia, Bruce Hornsby, had a streak of big hits in the 80s beginning with his signature song, "The Way It Is," which soared to #1 in 1986. It was the title track from his smash debut album, which also spawned "Mandolin Rain" (#4), and "Every Little Kiss" (#14). On the heels of this success, he won the Grammy for Best New Artist in 1986. He rode this wave of popularity for a while longer, scoring with follow-up hits from his sophomore record like "The Valley Road" (#5) and "Look Out Any Window" (#35). He'd score one more top 40 single in 1990 with "Across The River," which reached #18, before vanishing from the charts as quickly as he came. Hornsby continued to release new music that incorporated his jazz and bluegrass influences; great stuff, just not radio-friendly. Hornsby has also co-written hits by others, most notably "Jacob's Ladder," which Huey Lewis & The News took to #1 in 1987 and "The End Of The Innocence," which Don Henley took to #8 in 1989. "The Wild Frontier" goes back to his wonderful debut record. It could have been a fourth charting single in my opinion.
Drummer and vocalist for the Eagles, Don Henley has also enjoyed a successful solo career. His first charting single as a "lone eagle" wasn't completely solo, as it was a duet with the great Stevie Nicks. "Leather and Lace" went all the way to #6 in 1981. Henley would have another massive duet with Patty Smyth in 1992 when "Sometimes Love Just Ain't Enough" spent 6 weeks at #2 - the biggest hit of his solo career. After scoring with "Leather and Lace," Henley put out his first proper single from his debut solo record, "I Can't Stand Still." The peppy "Johnny Can't Read" stalled at #42, but Henley's next single, "Dirty Laundry," made out much better, spending 3 weeks at #3 in 1982. When the title track stalled at #48, we heard nothing more from this album make its way onto the chart. Henley's second record was more successful, yielding four top 40 hits including one of his most well-known classics, "The Boys of Summer," which peaked at #5. Henley's third album continued a hot streak, producing the landmark song co-written with Bruce Hornsby, "The End of the Innocence" (#8). Four more charting singles would follow from the album of the same name. After taking time out for most of the 90s to enjoy a hugely successful reunion with the Eagles, Henley's last appearance as a solo artist came in 2000, when "Taking You Home" reached #58. "You Can't Make Love" is yet another terrific cut from his sophomore effort, "Building The Perfect Beast." Arguably his best record, this one also contains the underrated song "Not Enough Love In The World," which surprisingly only reached #34.
